London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of Westminster 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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112
Analysis of Milk Samples.—Percentage of adulterated samples since
1920 is given in Table II.
The legal minimum standards for milk fat and non-fatty solids as
laid down in the Sale of Milk Regulations, 1901, are 3 per cent, and 8.5
per cent, respectively. Samples which do not show higher percentages
than these are regarded by the analysts as of poor quality. Therefore it
may be taken that the legal standards do not indicate any degree of
excellence but rather milk which has barely escaped the stigma of adulteration.
The grades of quality as set up by the analysts are as follows:—
Good quality: Over 3.8 per cent, of fat.
Fair quality: Between 3.3 per cent, and under 3.8 per cent.
Poor quality: Between 3 per cent, and 3.3 per cent.
Adulterated: Below 3 per cent, fat and 8.5 per cent, non-fatty
solids.
The results of the samples taken in each of the two districts of the City during 1929 are given in the following table:— Table II.
| District. | Total. | Good Quality. | Fair Quality. | Poor Quality. | Adulterated. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Per cent. | No. | Per cent. | No. | Per cent. | No. | Per cent. | ||
| North | 423 | 155 | 36.6 | 201 | 47.5 | 42 | 9.9 | 25 | 5.9 |
| South | 444 | 168 | 37.8 | 221 | 49.7 | 37 | 8.3 | 28 | 6.3 |
| 1929 | 867 | 323 | 37.2 | 422 | 48.6 | 79 | 9.1 | 53 | 6.1 |
| 1928 | 904 | 410 | 45.3 | 373 | 41.2 | 101 | 11.1 | 20 | 2.2 |
| 1927 | 914 | 511 | 54.1 | 345 | 36.5 | 71 | 7.5 | 17 | 1.8 |
| 1926 | 910 | 502 | 55.1 | 298 | 32.7 | 100 | 10.9 | 10 | 1.0 |
| 1925 | 970 | 489 | 50.4 | 368 | 37.9 | 98 | 10.1 | 15 | 1.5 |
| 1924 | 994 | 507 | 51.0 | 363 | 36.5 | 105 | 10.5 | 19 | 1.90 |
| 1923 | 997 | 458 | 45.9 | 368 | 36.9 | 149 | 14.9 | 22 | 2.2 |
| 1922 | 998 | 493 | 49.4 | 338 | 33.8 | 138 | 13.8 | 29 | 2.9 |
| 1921 | 977 | 449 | 45.9 | 362 | 37.0 | 131 | 13.4 | 35 | 3.5 |
| 1920 | 987 | 321 | 32.5 | 400 | 40.5 | 236 | 23.9 | 30 | 3.0 |
The quality of the samples has not been so well maintained this year,
but the greater proportion of adulterations were of a slight degree not
sufficient to merit legal action. The abnormal climatic conditions throughout
the year no doubt had some influence in determining the quality of
the milk.